Aspirations Are Only Ropes of Sand

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Scripture:Matthew 26:35,41 (NIV) But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same. Jesus said, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Observations:We have such high aspirations, but it is so hard for us to fulfill them. We think we can merely declare our allegiance, and everything will be OK — but who had a better relationship with Jesus than the disciples who lived with Him for three years? If they couldn’t stand up to the temptations set before them, how can we? If they couldn’t avoid slipping away, how do we think we can?

Jesus gave us an excellent example. He was God, yet He spent all night in prayer. So, here we are, mere humans — weak, degraded humans at that, and we think we can survive on five minutes of prayer here, and five minutes of prayer there. <sigh> Are we stoopid?

Application:We — I mean, "I" need to pray more. I need to dedicate my time to prayer. Not just talking, but listening. Exhaling and inhaling.

Prayer:Dear God, teach me to pray. Teach me to manage my time so I can pray. Teach me to walk with you — daily. Teach me to "pray without ceasing." I know that to put my family first, I need to put you first. Today God, I surrender my life to you — and my time.